Can opener



0a. 30, 1951 A, CARP 2,573,400

CAN OPENER Filed May 5, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 30, 1951 Filed May 5 A. CARP CAN OPENER 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ob ARTHUR CARP 1 15 m. @a/mm q (m A. CARP CAN OPENER Oct. 30, 195 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 5, 1948 gvwc/wto o ARTHLJE EAEF FIE m- Oct. 30, 1951 A. CARP I 2,573,400

CAN OPENER Filed May 5, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 mfg 2 M26 6% M+QJJL Patented Oct. 30, 1951 CAN OPENER Arthur Carp, Hillsdale, Mich.

Application May 5, 1948, Serial No. 25,110

shape end wall which it is desired to sever, and a circular blade wheel adapted to penetrate the outer periphery of said disc-shape end wall to effect separation of the latter from the remainder of the can when relative rotary motion is caused j to take place between the can and the can opener.

The invention relates to can openers of this type in which the can opener itself is rotated around the can or in which the 'latter is rotated with respect to the can opener, the latter being held against rotary motion.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved can. opener of the above described type in which the opener as a whole is readily engageable with a can, with the cutter wheel and the friction wheel correctly positioned relatively to one another and to the end wall portion of the can which it is desired to sever.

In order to effect the desired severing operation it is necessary that the cutter wheel should be held engaged with the can end wall in substantially tangential disposition relatively to the periphery thereof, or with the axis of rotation. of the cutter disposed substantially radially with respect to the center of said end wall. In the available can openers, having the cutter and friction wheels mounted upon pivotally connected hand lever members, there is a tendency for the cutter wheel,'and hence the friction wheel, to

assume an askew position relatively to the periphery of the can end as the'lever carrying the friction wheel is closed upon the other lever carrying the cutter wheel. As a result the cutter and friction wheels are improperly positioned and if any cutting action at all takes place this tends to be in a direction outwardly away from the periphery of the can instead of in the direction thereof.

' An object of the invention therefor is to provide a can opener of the type described in which one,

or both lever members, carry a member adapted to be positioned immediately adjacent one side of the cutter Wheel and in engagement with the periphery of the can so as to oppose any tendency for the cutter wheel to assume an askew position and to constrain the wheel to take up the substantially tangential position as above mentioned and this without any conscious effort on the part of the operator.

' A further object of the invention is to provide :a can opener of the type described in which the Claims. (Cl. -155) WAT/UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE lever member carrying the friction wheel has sufficient inherent resiliency as to compensatefor varying thicknesses both depthwise and radially of the can. Accordingly, the opener'i's capable of adjustment automatically to variations in the depth of the peripheral bead beneath which the friction wheel engages (such bead being defined on the can around the periphery of the disc-shape end Wall thereof penetrated by'the cutter wheel) as well as to radial variations in the can wall presented, for instance, at the longitudinal seam normally present on the cans.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a can opener'of the type described in which provision is made for the ready effecting of radial adjustment of the lever members relatively to each other so as to compensate for wear on the cutter and/or friction wheels in prolonged use of the can opener. p v

Yet another object of the'invention is to provide a can opener of'the type described with parts thereof formed to permit the opener to be employed to remove crown corks or to punch out a pouring opening in an end wall of the can whereby the can opener combines the three functions of a can opener proper, a crown cork remover and a can puncturing tool.

Still a further object ofthe invention is to provide a can opener of the kind described in which one of the lever members carries a pivotally mounted arm adapted, in its closedrpositi on, to function to centralize or correctly positionrthe cutter wheel in its cutting position on a can and,

in its opened-out position, to function as a crown corkremover.

Yet a furtherobject of the invention is to provide a can opener of the kind described Which is adaptable for use as a wall type can opener, that is, an opener, which is held stationary while the proceeds.- I

These objects and advantages, resulting from the combination construction and arrangements of parts, will appear clear from a consideration of the following detail descriptionof several practical embodiments of the invention given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a front elevational view of one embodiment of the invention, with the hand lever members shown opened-out; and the positioning lever arm on the cutter carrying lever member in its normal position,

Fig. II is a similar view to Fig. I but showing the can opener applied to a can and the positioning lever arm swung over into its operative position prior to the closing of the lever member carrying the friction wheel,

Fig. III is a similar view to Fig. II but showing the friction wheel lever member in the closed position and the positioning lever arm returned to its normal vertical position,

Fig. IV is a rear elevational View of Fig. I,

Fig. V is a perspective view of this embodiment of the invention in use as a crown cork remover,

Fig. VI is-a fragmentary perspective view of the same can opener in use as a can end wall 'puncher, preparatory to the acutal punching operation, 7

Fig. VII is a similar viewto Fig. VI but showing the entire can opener and the punching operation completed,

Fig. VIII is an end view of Fig. III, Fig. IX is a front elevational view of another embodiment of the can opener in accordance with the invention, employing a dual function lever arm on the cutter wheel carrying lever member, the can opener-being shown in the closed and operative position and the dotted line position of said dual function lever arm denoting the alternative position of this arm when employed ing the can opener dismantled from the wall bracket and the lever member carrying the friction wheel swung into the open position,

Fig. XIII is a longitudinal section on the line AA of Fig. XI,

Fig. XIV is a side elevational view of yet an- 5 other embodiment of the invention with the opener shown in the closed operative position,

Fig. XV is a similar view to Fig. XIV but showing the lever carrying the friction wheel swung into theopen position, and

Fig. .XVI is a longitudinal view on the line 13-13 of Fig. XIV.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figs. I

to VIII a can opener is provided comprising a pair of hand lever members I and 2 pivotally connected together near one end thereof, by a screw stud 3 and tightening nut 4, for opening and closing swinging movement of the lever members relatively to one another.

The lever member I is formed with a lateral extension la, with which the screw stud 3 is associated, and which extension has a transverse short rotatable spindle 5 carrying, on one side of the extension la, the friction wheel 6 and, on

the opposite side, the handle 1 by which the spindle, and hence the friction wheel, are rotated. The other hand lever 2 carries the cutter Wheel -8,-freely rotatable upon a 'screw'stud 9 secured upon this lever member by the nut 9a (Fig. IV)

so that in the closed position of the two lever 4 members the friction wheel and the cutter wheel are brought diametrically opposite one another, as shown in Figs. III, V and VIII, with the adjacent peripheral portions thereof in overlapping but laterally spaced relationship.

The two hand lever members are of cranked formation, as seen in Fig. V, and the friction and cutter wheels are so located upon their respective lever members that with the can opener posi- ,nally with respect to the outside of the can "wall, whereas the other mutually related lever portions lb and 21) extend at a slight angle above the can end wall We which it is desired to remove and in a direction towards the center of said end wall. The cutter wheel spindle 9 is perpendicular to its lever portion 21) whereby the cutter wheel assumes a correspondingly inclined position with respect to the inner side wall of the peripheral can bead 10b, whereas in theclosed condition ofthe lever members the friction wheel .is disposed; in aplane substantially parallel with the can wall It), with its serrated peripheral edge Ba engaged beneath outside lower edge We of this bead. p

The cutter wheel is formed with an-annular groove Ba (Figs. V, VII and VIII) into which-the can bead enters, much in the same way as is disclosed in my c-o-pending application, Serial No. 597,177, filed June 2, 1945, but whereas in that application this annular groove is of V cross-section I now prefer that the rear wall 8b. (Fig. VIII) of the annular groove should be perpendicular to the spindle 9 and that the base .of the groove should be constituted by a short cylindrical portion Be.

A projecting lip i2, bent perpendicularly from the lever member part {a serves, in the conventional manner, to hold the lower end of this lever member part,.andhence its companion part 2a of the other lever member, spaced somewhat from the outer, surface of the can wall, in the-applied condition of the can opener.

. The lever portion la is formed with a transverse slot i3 open at one end to the free edge [0 :of this lever portion and impartingto the latter the possibility of a cantilever action aboutthe closed end I34: whereby the portion 14 carrying the friction w eel is able to bendabout this pivot-end to contract or open the slot end por- --tion 53-27 to compensate for variations in the depthlof the bead 'ilib as the can and opener are rotated relatively to one another, with the opener in operative position on the can.

-Automatic compensation is also given to variations in the radial direction of the can by the free end portion of the said lever part M being bent back slightly from the companion part 24 of the other lever member to form a ap 15 between thetwofas shown in Fig. VIII, and thereby permit this edge portion of the lever portion it. topartake of aradial flexing movement relatively to. the can andthereby maintain the friction Wheel in correct engagement with the underneath edge surface of the can bead i9b.-

Angular movement of the two lever members is permitted by the rear boss portion of the spindle 5 carrying the handle i, being guided within 'a transverse 'arcuate form slot 65 in the lever disposed) and terminates at one end of the ledge,

adjacent the cutter wheel 8, in a downwardly directed shallow lip IBb. This lever arm I B is capable of being readily tripped about its pivot II to bring its depending lip portion I6b to exert pressure upon the top can end wall Ilia immediately adjacent one side of the cutter wheel 8 with the ledge I 6a overlying the corresponding portion of the peripheral can bead lOb.

' The outside longitudinal edge of the lever arm I6 is bent back, in its upper portion, to form a ledge I60, which, when the lever arm is swung back into the position shown in Fig. II, has abutting engagement with the edge portion III of the lever portion 2b so as thereby to limit the swinging movement in this direction. Engagement of the lower end of this ledge I60 with the transverse edge portion 20 of the lever portion 2b arrests the return swinging movement "of this lever arm to thereby locate the latter normally in a vertical position as seen in Figs. I and III.

Normally, this lever arm is in the vertical position, as seen in Figs. I and III.

With the parts as seen in Fig. I, the can opener is capable of being applied to a can with a portion of the can bead Iflb located within the annular groove 8a of the cutter wheel and the friction wheel 6 positioned just clear of the can wall III. With the o perators hands applying a steadying action to the can opener, the lever arm I6 is then tripped into the position shown in Fig. II to cause the depending lip ISb to exert pressure upon the top of the can end wall which it is desired to sever and'this immediately adjacent to one side of the cutter wheel 8. This has the effect of temporarily locking the can opener upon the top of the can and of so positioning the cutter wheel-that when the lever member I is closed upon the other lever member 2 and in so doing the lever arm I6 is automatically tripped back into its vertical position, as seen in FigIII, not only will the cutter wheel penetrate the top of the can while correctly positioned thereon but the friction wheel 6- will also be correctly located in substantially diametric relationship with respect to the cutter wheel, with its serrated edge 6a in contact with the bottom of the bead I021.

The completion of the severing operation can then beelfected with the engagement'of the lever arm ledge I6a and depending lip Ifib with the top of the can opposing any tendency for the fric- T tion wheel, during the cutting operation, tending to lift'the cutter wheel out of the can.

Longitudinal adjustment of the two lever memhers I and 2 relatively to one another, to compens'ate for wear of the cutter and friction wheels,

"or 'forother reasons, is possible by the provision of the lever member 2 with an elongated slot 2I through which the corresponding portion of the screw stud 3 passes. Thus, by loosening the nut 4 it is possible to adjust the two lever members relatively to each other within the limits of this members, in the tightened condition of the nut 4, due to the existence of this slot 2|. This ec- 'the triangular hole 30.

centric washer is turned about thestud s,v to corres ond with adjusted positions of the'=stud within the slot, so as to, ensure that the periphery of the washer has engagement with the ledge 23. The can opener as shown inFigs..:Isto VIII i's also formed so as to be capable of being used as a crown cork remover, as 'shown'in Fig. V, or as a can puncher, as'shown in Figs. VI and To this end the handle end-of the lever member 2 is formed with afirig'er portion '24 which iS bent back from the portion 22) and terminates'in a li 2401. which is laterally spaced from the overlying lever member portion 25 to permit this lip to be engaged with the peripheral flange 26b of a crown cork 26 with thecan opener held bodily, as shown in Fig. V,'and with the portion 25 engaging over the top of the crown cork, the side flange pOIfiOIll-Iflf the lever portion 21) having a guiding influence against the fluted crown-cork flange 26b in angularly spaced-relationshipto the lip24a.

To permit the can opener to be employed as a oan'puncher the lowerend of the lever member I opener is held bodily in one hand with thespike portion 28 overlying the-can end wall and ex} tending from the can bead I0b with the can opener held against the can wall II] by the abutment of the lip portion 29 with the latterf While so held against the can the opener as a whole is capable of levering about the abutment 29 to cause the spike portion 28 to press down upon the can end wall IIlc. In so doing the spiked end portion will puncture the end wall I00 to form Referring now to the modified construction of can opener shown in Figs. IX and X, wherein like parts'to those in the previous figures have been given the same reference numerals, instead of'the lever arm 16 this, construction is provided with a dual function lever arm 3|, pivoted upon the handle end of the lever member 2, by means of the pivot stud 32, and formedgenerallyof angular section to provide'a front flange 33 and a side flange 34. I The; front flange portion 33 is severed 36a is slightly spaced behind the peripheryof the cutter 3 in the fullyclosed condition of this lever arm; Thusjin this closed conditionthe lip portion 36 functions to hold the ,cutterwheel 8 correctly positioned uponthe can'IU and such positioning isassisted by another laterally. projecting lip portion 38 formed atthej top edge of the slot I5 (for accommodating the angular movement of the friction wheel 6) and located immediately adjacent the opposite side of the cutter wheel so as to overlie the peripheral can bead IIJb in' the applied conditionv of the can opener. When closed upon the lever member- 2 the lever arm 3| abuts the latter by its side flange :34, the latter affording a-comfortable g p surface for the bent fingersof the operators clenched hand. The one function 'of this'lever arm 3|, therefore, is to enable the can opener to be 'applied to a can with the cutter and friction wheels correctly positioned thereon. The-other function of this lever arm is to permit the can openerto be employed as a crown cork remover. To this end the free end of. the lever arm terminates in a lip 31, which is bent in the opposite direction to the lip portion 35, and the transverse ed e, 35a of the latter is formed with one or more nicks 35b. It will be seen therefore, from examination of Figs. IX and X, that a recess is formed at the free end of this lever arm, this recess be,- ing defined on two sides by the edge 35a and the adjacent edge 31a of the lip 31 and having its base defined by the lip 36, which latter extends generally perpendicularly with respect to the lip portions 35 and 31. 7

To employ the can opener as a crown cork remover, the lever arm 3| is swung into the Opened-out position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. IX. When so positioned the lever arm can be positioned with respect to acrown cork, which it is desired to remove, so that a peripheralportion of .the crown cork flange is accommodated within said recess with the lower peripheral edge of the crown cork engaged in one of said nicks 35b and the terminal lip3'lv positioned to bear over the top of the crown cork with its edge Ilia engaged with the latter. The normal lever action can then be exerted ,through the lever arm 3| to remove the crown corkl The can opener construction shown in Figs. XL-XlI and XIIIalso has parts similar to those .of the previously described constructions and denoted by the same reference numerals, but the present can opener construction is designed for use either as a hand held can opener, with thelatter rotated around the can or asa walltype opener, with the latter held stationary and the can rotated. This alternative use of the can opener is. possible by the hand lever member being formed at its lower end with a depending tongue .39 of taper formation, as shown, and which is engageablewithin a correspondingly formed socket .40 of a wall bracket 4|.- In the modified construction of can openeralso, the means for correctly positioning the cutterwheel for its cutting operation consists of the lip pro- 38, for engaging-over the peripheral can head immediately adjacent one side of the cutter wheel, and of a lever arm for providing engagement-with the topof the can on the opposite side of the cutter wheel. This lever arm, in the -present construction is indicated at MI and is pivoted at thelower end of; the lever member .Z bythe stud 42. The lever arm M, therefore, is swung upwardly into its operative position, as shown in Figs. XI and XII, where a pointed lip portion enters behind the periphery of the cutter wheel 8 to engage the can and assist the lip 38 in correctly positioning the cutter for its desired cutting operation.

.To permit ,the friction wheel 6 -to be rotated with the can opener mounted upon the wall bracket 4| or held in the operators. hand, a novel handle construction employed, as shown particularly in Fig. XIII where the handle 7 has one Wing arm 1a thereof extended and fitted at its free end with a knob 'Icv by which the handle is actuated when the can opener isemployed in associationwith a,wall bracket. Thehandle construqt Qnissnch tha the; central handle porthe friction wheel 6 whenthe can opener is-hand held.

Referring now to the can, opener construction shown in Figs. XIV, XV and XVI, again the same reference numerals-have been employed to denote parts corresponding to the previously described constructions, but in the present construction the leverarrn 16, Si or ll has been dispensed withand reliance placed upon an angularly set roller member 44, carried upon the lever memher 2 and engageable over the peripheral can bead iflb to assist in maintaining thecOrrect engagement of the cutter wheel 8 with the can. This roller member is conveniently formed with a knurled or roughened surface; as shown for maintaining the desired rolling, yet gripping, engagement with. the beadiflb.

In this modified can opener construction the lever member I has the slot portions [3, i312 giving the possibility of a cantilever action, which latter, however, is further enhanced by the prowill vision of yet another transversely extending slot 4.5..defining, with the slot iii, an intermediate web portion dfi of the lever member I upon which the pivotpin 47 for the two lever members land 2 is mounted. Y

ihis pivot is formed by a screw stud, shown clearly in Fig. XVI, which stud is secured in position bya nut 48 and has a portion Ala locatable within an elongated slot 45 in the lever member portion {55, This slot permits relative longitudinal adjustment movement of the portion 48 and the lever, member 2 to take place automatically with the swinging. movement of the lever member I into the closed position and with the can opener appliedto a can. Such automatic adjustment motion ensures thatthe friction wheel 5 is maintained in efficient gripping engagement with the can head H319 as the wheel is made to traverse the latter. The said motion is permitted not only by the existence of the slot 49 but also by the camming of the eccentric Washer 50 over the lip 5| at the lower end of the lever member 2, as the lever member I is swung into .the' closed position and by the engagement of the roller sleeve 52 with the bottom lip 53 on the lever member portion la. The eccentric washer 50 is carried upon a screwjstud 55 secured in position by a nut 55 and passed through an elongated slot-56 in the lever member portion 2a.

It is desired to point out that, one-important advantage of the cutter constrictions according to the invention is that a simple plier-like closing action,.capable ofv being performed b-y-grasping the cutter in one hand, is all that is'needed to bring the cutter into operative position upon a can, which position is positively maintained by rotation of the friction wheel in the can cutting direction, rotation in the opposite direction serving automatically to produce an opening movement of the cutter.

Having thus described in detail the several features of my invention by reference to several practical embodiments thereof, what I claim as novel and wish to cover by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A can opener comprising a lever member, a cutter wheel rotatably mounted upon said lever member, another lever member, a friction wheel rotatably mounted upon said second mentioned lever member, means pivotally connecting said levermembers towards oneendthereof while permitting relative longitudinal movement of said members to adjust the mutually engaging operative position of said cutter and friction wheels, the latter being mounted upon their respective lever members intermediate said pivotal connection and the free ends of the lever members and being so located that peripheral portions thereof overlap one another in clamp forming spaced relationship in the closed condition of the lever members, whereby it is possible to grip the peripheral edge portion of a can between the two wheels, a handle member for rotating one said wheel, a separate lever member, means pivotally mounting said separate lever member upon the lever carrying said cutting wheel in spaced relation to one side of the latter, said separate lever member being formed and located to exert pressure against the top of a can to which the opener is applied, whereby to position the cutting wheel and the friction wheel for their equired operations.

2. A can opener as claimed in claim 1 said separate lever arm being formed with a depending lip portion engageable, immediately adjacent one side of the cutter wheel, with the outer peripheral portion of the can end wall to be severed, when the separate lever arm is swung into one position, and being formed also with a ledge portion engageable over the top edge of the peripheral can bead.

3. A can opener as claimed in claim 2 wherein said separate lever arm is pivoted upon the cutter carrying lever member in position to be automatically tripped upon a closing movement of the other lever member carrying the friction wheel.

4. A can opener comprising a pair of lever members, means pivotally connecting the lever members together, a cutter wheel rotatably mounted upon one said lever member and a friction wheel rotatably mounted upon the other said lever member, said cutter wheel and friction wheel being so positioned upon their respective lever members as to co-act with a can, for the severing of an end wall thereof, in the closed condition of the lever members with the conventional can head held between overlapping peripheral portions of the cutter wheel and friction wheel, said pivotal connection means being engaged with an intermediate portion of the lever member carrying the friction wheel, which portion is partially severed from the remainder of this lever member by transversely extending slots imparting the possibility of a double cantilever action to said intermediate lever portion.

5. A can opener comprising a pair of hand lever members, means pivotally connecting said lever members together, a cutter wheel rotatably mounted upon one said lever member and a friction wheel rotatably mounted upon the other said lever member, said cutter wheel and friction wheel being so positioned upon their respective lever members as to co-act with the inner periphery and the bottom edge of the conventional peripheral bead at one end of a can in the can applied condition of the can opener, and the said friction wheel being mounted upon a portion of its lever member which is partially severed from the remainder of this lever member by a transverse slot in this member, whereby the said lever member portion has the possibility of a cantilever action in a direction transverse to the rotational axis of the friction wheel and the said cantilever member portion being also formed to have a certain degree of resiliency in the direction of said rotational axis, whereby the friction wheel is permitted to partake automatically of adjustments in position to compensate for variations in the can bead both depthwise and radially with respect to the bead.

ARTHUR CARP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,795,478 Davis Mar. 10, 1931 1,914,738 Elster June 20, 1933 2,244,846 Moeller June 10, 1941 

